It's an aggressively stormy morning up top. The high yesterday reached 47 degrees. The overnight low was 38 degrees. It was 44 degrees and raining at 7am observation. The mountain received 1.22 inches of rain, starting after dark last night. There is just about no snow remaining up top. I'd expect whatever patches are left to melt out by this afternoon. The trails are sure to be super soggy, so be prepared for a wet day out there!

Last night was one of the more impressive storm displays I've seen this season. It rolled in late last night, but you could sense it coming all afternoon. The winds were impressive throughout the day, with clouds flying over from Cliff Tops towards the lodge like wispy fighter pilots. It started raining heavily just as I was turning in and I had a symphony of wind and tree noises whistling through my cabin as I passed out. The winds were strong enough to make me wonder about just what kind of gusts it'd take to blow the walls down... Even sitting still is an adventure in conditions like this...

JP, I like your description of the storm that rolled in over you last night. Since I've only been up top one time, being this past October, I have nothing to compare the weather we experienced to. But, NOAA had forecasted winds at mid elevations to be around 50 to 55 mph and had issued a gale force wind warning of winds 80 to 85mph up on top of Leconte during the night. I've been out in 35 to 40mph winds, but the wind we hit about mid way up was almost knocking us down! We put up with that the remainder of the way up. My husband and I were wondering the same about how much wind it would take to blow the place down up there. But, we both were amazed at how sturdy and quiet our cabin was while inside (and the bathrooms), for when you stepped outside the wind was a force to be reckoned with, along with the sideways rain! My husband estimated that the winds during that night could have been as high as forecasted. Anyhoo, have as best a day as you can up there today!

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Mary Anne Rudolph

2/3/2016 11:25:05 am

While your post says it was 4 degrees and raining (probably an impossibility) I will assume it was 40 degrees. Rivers are rising, the Little is at almost 6 feet (normally 2 feet or less). It was pretty blustery at 1800 feet in Cosby. What changeable weather we have in Tennessee, I love it.

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papaw lg

2/3/2016 02:07:44 pm

4 degrees ? my thoughts also.

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norman

2/3/2016 07:19:19 pm

When did you see 4 degrees? Has it been changed (44 degrees)?

Bill

2/3/2016 10:22:31 pm

JP... I experienced the tail of Hurricane Katrina in New Lodge (Cabin #2) and can tell you those cabins don't budge, even in hurricane winds! Even the shake shingles stayed nailed down (although they may have rattled a bit in the wind). That's more than I can say for some of the trees on Alum Cave Trail the next morning. The carpenters who built those cabins really knew what they were doing. Some times, the old ways really are better!

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LeConte Lodge

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